Ernesto Martinez

Owner of Market

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Ernesto Martinez left his home in Mexico City for the Napa Valley at age 16. After spending a few nights sleeping on park benches, he found work as a dishwasher at Brava Terrace. By 2003, he was working as a sous chef at the Culinary Institute of America; that same year he was offered a job as sous chef at Market, an up-and-coming restaurant in St. Helena.

He performed so well at Market that the owners begged him several times to become head chef, and then finally forced him to accept the position. Martinez wasn’t sure if he was ready for the position, to which the management told him, “You have something that can’t be taught.” Later, after he discovered, first subconsciously in a dream, that Market was going to be put up on the market, August of 2008, Martinez and his brother-in-law and business partner, Ramon Flores saved up money for a year and a half to buy the restaurant. “I was fighting for more than myself,” he said. “It was for all the people who worked there too.”

However, only two months later, the Great Recession hit, forcing Martinez and his wife to decide between selling their new restaurant or selling their home in American Canyon. They decided to sell their home, because they figured keeping the restaurant would provide them with income. During the tough following years, Martinez relied on locals who had been loyally giving business to the restaurant, as well as the support of his general manager Eddie Moore. By 2010, business was flourishing again. Martinez expresses his gratitude for the community that has helped him attain success by donating to local nonprofits, as well as by providing health and retirement benefits for his employees.

“There are no limitations other than the ones you set on yourself,” Martinez assures. “Don’t let anything shatter your dreams because there will always be bumps on the road.” For Martinez, it is important for Americans to realize what rare opportunities they have. “You are blessed to be in a country of opportunities, where the only thing you have to do is to set a goal and find the strength to reach it,” he reminds us. “When I came to the USA I didn’t speak the language, I didn’t have my family or the support from anyone. Don’t waste your time and be ready when the opportunity comes your way.”